Nexus moved with effortless precision, weaving between the guards like a shadow. Each blow meant for him was redirected with a quick tap or a twist of his body, sending the attackers stumbling into one another. A grin played across his face as he ducked under a wild punch, using the guard's own weight to spin him into another unfortunate teammate. The two went crashing to the ground with a thud.
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Another guard charged, arms spread wide as if trying to catch Nexus in a bear hug. But Nexus was already a step ahead, sidestepping the lunge and planting a hand on the man's shoulder. He shoved, just hard enough to send the guard skidding into the others, where he collided and dropped to his knees, panting.
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"Come on, guys," Nexus taunted, that cocky grin still plastered on his face. "This is getting embarrassing."
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The remaining guards, realizing brute force wasn't working, tried to form a circle around him. But Nexus darted left, tapping one on the shoulder just to mess with him. The guard turned, swinging his fist wide—only to hit nothing but air, as Nexus slipped behind him and gave him a light shove. The guard stumbled forward, crashing into the man in front of him, their weapons clattering to the ground.
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Now, the once-mighty squad of guards was reduced to a group of bruised and winded men, hands on their knees, gasping for air. Nexus scanned the room, hands resting casually at his sides as if he hadn't just taken on a dozen armed guards.
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With a satisfied smirk, Nexus gave them a small, mocking bow. "And that's that."
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Nexus stood facing Maximus, a confident grin spreading across his face. Maximus, however, merely crossed his arms, his gaze shifting from his weary, defeated guards back to Nexus with an appraising look.
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"So this is the famous Nexus," Maximus mused, his voice laced with disdainful curiosity. "The stealing touch and the evasion. To think these tricks would be so... effective." He glanced at his men, who were now struggling to regain their composure, sweat rolling down their foreheads. "Stealing touch—the ability to take almost anything, from physical objects like my Hydrix-9, to non-physical things like a person's stamina." His lips curled into a smirk. "Impressive."
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Nexus gave a mock bow. "Why, thank you! Though if you're that impressed, maybe you'd let me just grab what I came for and we can call it a day, huh?" He waggled his eyebrows, his smirk a blend of charm and cheek. "I mean, it'd save us both a lot of trouble, and I could be out of your hair."
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Maximus didn't seem amused. Without a word, he reached into a hidden compartment at his side and produced a sleek black suit. As he slipped it on, it adhered to his body, illuminating in vibrant orange lines that pulsed along his frame like streams of molten lava. The suit's intricate design seemed to hum with power, and his smirk widened as he finished suiting up.
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"Surely you jest," he replied coldly.
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Nexus let out a low whistle, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Oh, come on, I was just trying to keep things nice and friendly," he said with a playful shrug. "But if you're going to get all serious on me..." He trailed off, eyes gleaming with a hint of excitement as he sized up Maximus, already bracing himself for whatever would come next.
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The room was a flurry of chaos as Nexus and Maximus moved at blinding speeds, weaving around the metallic walls and denting the floors as they clashed. Maximus's attacks were fierce, each strike landing like a sledgehammer and echoing through the room. Nexus dodged with his usual playful finesse, slipping past the powerful swings, ducking under brutal punches, and hopping over sweeping kicks. The room was steadily getting wrecked, with Maximus's own men getting thrown back or knocked out in the wake of his uncontrolled force.
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"Why is everyone trying to hurt me today?" Nexus called out, his voice tinged with mock sorrow as he dodged yet another crushing blow. A playful frown spread across his face as he wiped imaginary tears from his eyes. "I'm starting to feel underappreciated."
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Maximus snarled, tired of the thief's slippery evasion. "Stop running!" he roared, his palms opening as he released a blast of searing, crackling energy aimed straight at Nexus.
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Nexus's eyes widened as he barely twisted out of the beam's path. The ray streaked past him and caught one of the black-suited guards squarely, reducing the man to nothing but a trail of ash in a split second. Nexus blinked in shock, the smile vanishing from his face as he glanced at the smoldering spot.
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Then he felt a faint heat on his shoulder. Turning, he saw the faint scorch mark left behind on the edge of his scarf. His usual playful demeanor disappeared, and his face grew cold as he gripped the burnt fabric, his fingers clenched so tightly around it that his knuckles went white.
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"My scarf..." he muttered, his voice almost a whisper. His gaze lifted slowly, deadly serious, and he locked eyes with Maximus, who wore a satisfied smirk.
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"How dare you," Nexus said, his voice low, his usual light-hearted expression now filled with quiet fury. Each step he took toward Maximus seemed to thrum with a barely restrained intensity.
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Maximus chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, now I've struck a nerve. About time, too. You're out of tricks, Nexus."
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Nexus stopped, staring him down with steely resolve. "You can say what you want about me," he said, his grip tightening on the blackened scarf, muscles tense with anger. "But don't you dare touch my scarf!"
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With that, Nexus launched himself forward, his fists clenched, aiming directly for Maximus. But just as he was about to strike, the ceiling above shattered in a massive burst of concrete and metal, showering the room with debris. Nexus skidded to a halt, his anger momentarily forgotten as he stared upward in shock.
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The figure that landed in front of him was unmistakable, blonde hair gleaming even in the dust-filled air, and eyes glowing with unmistakable intensity. The ground beneath her feet cracked and cratered, the impact shaking the entire room.
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"K!" Nexus exclaimed, his frustration forgotten, his voice a mix of shock and annoyance. "What are you doing here?"
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K stood up from her crouched landing, her gaze laser-focused on him as if she hadn't even noticed Maximus. Her mouth curled into a slight, humorless smile. "What am I doing here?" she echoed, crossing her arms, voice sharp. "I told you, Nexus. You're not getting away from me this time."
***
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Author notes: Please support my work on Patreon for early access to new chapters. https://patreon.com/DarkMatteromniverse48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5t5YPb3lmi
and then Add to home screen.